Black Fur, White Feathers
by JetBlackOblivion
Summary: Rin Okumura - the happy-go-lucky, silly exwire who's always smiling. And the most un-demonic demon the angel Corinne has ever met. I don't own Blue Exorcist, only the plot and my OCs. Rated T to be safe, and there's gross descriptions of demons.
1. Chapter 1

**Blue Exorcist fanfic this time! Woohoo! Enjoy!**

**This is set some time after Rin's friends find out he's a demon, but before the whole 'kicking Satan's butt' thing. At this time, the other exwires have accepted his demon-ness.**

"Good morning," Yukio said as the exwire class settled into their seats. On most days, Shima would have already been hitting on the girls and Izumo would have already smacked him into the ground, but today the students seemed to sense that their instructor had something important to say.

"I have something to tell you all. Today we have a new exwire joining us."

"Sweet!" Shima yelled. "I hope it's a pretty girl!"

"Yeah, that's make the numbers more even so maybe you can keep a shred of your dignity when we kick you boys' butts," Izumo sniffed.

Yukio coughed pointedly. "_Anyway,_ she will be joining us any minute now. Please be respectful."

As if on cue, there was a soft knock at the door. The exwires unconsciously straightened a bit in their seats as Yukio hurried to the door and smoothly slid it open.

"Welcome, Miss Bellator!" He said brightly. Stepping aside, he allowed the new exwire to step into the classroom.

"Hello, I'm Corinne. Please take care of me." The girl said in a soft, musical voice. After giving a polite bow, she straightened up to reveal light blue eyes as clear as the sky. She had shockingly white hair that hung straight down her back to almost her waist. Corinne was already wearing the True Cross uniform.

"You may take your seat right there," Yukio said as he gestured to the empty desk next to Shiemi.

"Thank you," Corinne said as she walked to her seat.

"Hi!" Shiemi whispered happily as Yukio launched into a boring lecture about some sort of demon that ate people's faces. "I'm Shiemi Moriyama!"

"It's nice to meet you," Corinne replied before pulling out a spiral and jotting down a few notes from Yukio's lesson. Shiemi smiled again and returned to her own notebook.

_BANG!_

"Sorry I'm late!" Rin shouted as he skidded into the room, shirt half-buttoned and tie loose. Yukio laid down the textbook he was holding and sighed.

"Take a seat, Rin," he said as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Rin gave him a sloppy grin before dumping his books on his desk and finishing buttoning his uniform. He gave Corinne a cursory glance before really seeing her.

"WHOA!" he yelled, skidding back a few steps. "Yukio, there's someone at my desk!"

Yukio sighed - again. "Yes, Rin, that's Corinne. She's a new student and you two will share a table."

"Oh. Cool," Rin said before plopping down in his seat. He turned to Corinne beside him, who was giving him a very strange look. "Hi, I'm Rin! I'm Yukio's older brother."

Corinne glared at him through narrowed eyes, but Rin had already opened up his notebook and began to doodle.

* * *

"Corinne!" Shiemi called as she waved excitedly from beside Izumo. "Come join us for lunch!"

Corinne debated it for a moment before shrugging and heading over to the girls. "I brought my own today," she told them as they sat down on the base of a fountain in the courtyard.

"Oh, that's cool!" Shiemi giggled. "We both brought our own too." They opened their lunches and began to eat. Nearby, the boys were sitting under a tree and enjoying their lunches in a similar fashion. Bon, Konekomaru, and Shima had all bought lunches, but Rin of course brought his own.

"He brought his…" Corinne murmured.

"Oh, yeah, he does that," Shiemi mumbled around a mouthful of food. "He makes lunch for him and his brother."

"They're not _really_ brothers, are they?" Corinne asked, her eyes still on the blue-eyed exwire.

"Why would you say that?" Izumo asked curiously.

"Well, Rin is… so different."

"True," Shiemi conceded, "But they really are twins. I mean, their eyes are the same too."

_What an oddly specific thing to notice,_ Corinne thought. _Besides, they're really _not _the same…_

"And Rin really is older," Izumo added. "I know he doesn't seem like it, but he is. He's actually more powerful than Yukio."

"Powerful?" Corinne questioned, tipping her head to the side.

"Uh, you know… stronger, and stuff," Izumo said distractedly as she watched a fight break out between Rin and Bon.

"Oh! Corrine!" Shiemi suddenly exclaimed, startling the newest student.

"What?!" She yelled in surprise, nearly dropping her lunch.

"Where'd you come from?"

"Um… A mother and a father, I'm pretty sure…" Corinne replied, rolling her eyes.

'No, I mean where are you from? Like, where'd you transfer to True Cross from?"

"Oh. It was an order form the Grigori and the… higher-ups." Corinne settled back down and continued to eat her lunch.

"Wow, the higher-ups? You must be, like, super powerful or something then, right?!" Shiemi asked excitedly.

"I'm just here to learn about demon slaying and stuff. The Grigori thought it would be beneficial to have me educated here."

"Well then, welcome to True Cross!" Shiemi exclaimed. Corinne smiled in response before turning her troubled gaze back to Rin and Bon. The girls made meaningless conversation the rest of lunch before returning to class. Corinne was made to sit next to Rin again and she seemed to get increasingly uncomfortable as the day wore on. As soon as the last bell rang, she leaped from her seat and hurried over to talk animatedly with Izumo and Shiemi.

Just as the exwires were leaving, the lights suddenly shut off. All of the exwires let out a unanimous groan.

"Not again," Shima moaned.

"Oh, c'mon! I'm way too tired for this!" Rin growled.

"What?" Corinne asked throwing a confused glance at her classmates.

"Shura's let the dang ghouls out again!" Bon complained.

Immediately, Corinne perked up. "She let ghouls loose? In _here?_"

"Welcome to True Cross," Yukio said dryly. "I'm sorry, Corinne, that this had to happen on your first day. I'd talk to Shura about this, but she wouldn't listen anyway."

"She lets these wild ghouls we have for training out occasionally. She says it gives them fresh air, but they smell like rotting meat anyway," Rin said from behind Corinne. She immediately whirled around, shoulders tensed, but Rin was smiling happily. "Don't be so upset! We'll take care of this really quick, and it most likely means she won't let them loose for at least three days. She uses them to train us about finding demons. It's all part of our lessons."

"Three _days?_" Corinne gasped. _This school is crazy! What are they teaching here?_

"Yep!" Just as Rin confirmed her suspicions, Bon and said half-demon caught a group of shadows out of the corner of their eyes beyond the windows. The shapes detached and split into two groups, one substantially bigger than the other.

Rin threw a demonic glance at Bon.

"I CALL THE BIG ONE!" They both yelled, Bon just a few seconds behind Rin.

"Yes! I said it first!" Rin crowed, snatching his sword case from beside his desk while Bon ground his teeth.

"Tch. Fine, you go after the bigger group, we'll take the smaller one," he nearly snarled.

"Betchya I'll get back first," Rin taunted as he disappeared out the door.

"Shut up!" Bon yelled after him as Shima pulled out his K'rik. Behind him, Izumo summoned her Byakko and ordered them to sniff out the ghouls.

"Hey Shiemi," Izumo said as the party began to leave. "Why don't you stay here with Corinne?"

"Good idea," Shiemi smiled. "After all, it's her first day!"

With a nod, Izumo exited the room and followed her familiars, the boys tailing her and readying their defenses. Shiemi sat down at an empty desk and patted the chair by her. Corinne sat down in it, angling it slightly so she had a view of the windows. Her eyes constantly scanned the glass to see if she could catch a glimpse of the hunt taking place outside.

"Don't worry," Shiemi reassured the exwire. "They can handle it. This will all be over soon!"

"Why did Rin take the biggest group by himself?" Corinne asked, staring intently at her classmate. A few bangs and crashes echoed from inside the school.

"He'll be fine, don't worry," Shiemi smiled.

"But why did he take the most dangerous part? Aren't you worried?"

"Of course not!" Shiemi looked surprised. "He's just like that. He's very strong, you know. He can defeat that many ghouls easily."

Corinne looked at Shiemi calculatingly for a moment. "Shiemi, do you know tha-"

Whatever Corinne was about to say was suddenly cut off by a loud bang as a foul-smelling ghoul burst through the door.

"Nee!" Shiemi yelled as both girls scrambled away from the demon. The little greenman popped onto the blonde's shoulders as she stood up in preparation to capture their training buddy. The ghoul hissed in response, spit or some bodily fluid making puddles on the floor. Its mouth was a sewn-together slash and it seemed to have only one eye. The space where the other should have been was occupied by a couple large stitches crusted with something Shiemi didn't want to think too hard about. She stepped forward as if to attack, but Corinne was already there.

"From the highest heavens at the feet of the Maker, I ask for a feather of the bird that carries the sun!" Corinne yelled, her hands drawing an intricate symbol in the air and then hovering around chest height. The imaginary lines she had just drawn suddenly blazed with a white, holy light before shooting a white beam at the ghoul.

The shot burned a hole through the demons leg, making it collapse on the injured limb. It hissed something in the demon tongue before scrambling up the wall, dripping the danger of a temptaint all over the room.

Corinne let a curse slip through her lips as she moved her hands, the symbol rotating with the action. She repositioned her symbol to point directly at the ghoul when she heard a loud yell from the doorway.

"NO!" Rin yelled, his sword sheathed but out of its sleeve. Corinne started at the noise, giving Shiemi just enough time to have Nee wrap the demon in a ball of twigs before Corinne let her symbol fade. Shiemi let out a loud breath in relief; however, Corinne felt her anger bubbling up.

"What was that?" She nearly yelled as she stalked up to Rin, who had just covered his sword.

"Huh?" He blinked in surprise.

"Why would you protect a demon?" She spat, putting her hands on her hips and leaning into his face. "Do you have some sort of _connection_ to that demon? Why on heaven and earth would you stop me from killing some reeking, dirty _hellspawn_?" Rin flinched a tiny bit at her words, but forced a confused smile anyway.

"U-um, I'm not sure what you're implying…"

"Are you an exorcist, or are you a-" Corinne accused loudly.

"CORINNE!" Shiemi yelled over the new student's tirade. The white-haired girl's shoulders gave a tiny twitch in recognition.

"Please don't speak that way to Rin," she said softly. "Professor Shura will deduct points from our grades if we kill one of the demons."

Corinne immediately felt a hot blush of embarrassment color her cheeks. _Well, how was I supposed to know?! _She inwardly defended, but bowed her head to Rin. "Uh, I'm sorry," she muttered.

"Nah, it's cool," Rin grinned, scratching the back of his head. "How were you supposed to know anyway?" She gave a small relieved smile and turned back to Shiemi and apologized to her before helping her roll the wooden ball that contained the ghoul out of the room. Rin followed, slinging his Kurikara over his shoulder and keeping a lookout for any other rogue demons.

The group met up with Bon's team in the hallway, who had already deposited their captured demons back in their cages. The assisted Shiemi in sealing the last ghoul and locked the cage, allowing Konekomaru to place a seal on the padlock.

"Well, g'night!" Rin waved, stifling a large yawn. "I gotta go make lunch with Ukobach and then catch some sleep."

"Why? You'll just sleep in class all day tomorrow anyway," Bon grumbled.

"Hey!" Rin protested. "I'm studying to be an exorcist too, ya know!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever. This took waaay to long," Bon complained as he began to leave, giving the dying sunset a baleful glare.

"Goodnight!" Konekomaru said as he followed after Bon, Shima doing the same.

"Try and stay awake tomorrow, 'kay?" Shiemi said as she waved goodbye to Rin as well.

"Sure thing," the black-haired exwire smiled broadly before turning to go to his own dorm. Shiemi turned as well and followed Izumo, who had already started walking to the girls dorms. She turned around to call to Corinne, who was staring at Rin's retreating back.

"Come on, Corinne! You'll stay in our dorm, so let's go!" She yelled.

"Alright, I'm coming!" Corinne responded before giving Rin one last look.

_I don't get it,_ she thought tiredly. _He's funny, cheerful, and sleeps all day. He tried to help me today and offered to fight the most demons. He doesn't hold grudges, even when I yell at him._

_But he's most definitely a demon._

**Thanks for reading! This is my first story with a main OC. I have no idea what's going to happen :) Anyway, if you like it, PLEASE leave me a review! I update faster if I get more reviews. I will probably update soon because I just started writing, but I have no idea how long this fic is going to be :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**New chappie! Yay! Um... don't hate me for what happens in this one...**

Corinne settled in with the exwire class over the next few weeks. Everything progressed as normal and the students survived three more of Shura's 'lessons', managing to not kill any of her pets. Eventually, Shura actually had something to teach them rather than kill them with, and it was this lesson that was causing trouble in True Cross.

"Sometimes, the Grigori want some demons for something, to study or do something with… or something," she explained to the confused class. "The reason I've been lettin yew guys run around catching little demon tails-"

"There was a reason?" Izumo muttered.

"-Was to get yew experienced in catchin' demons but not killin' them. 'Cause sometimes-"

"The somebodies need someone for something." Bon said as he rolled his eyes.

Shura glared at him. "Precisely. Which is why yew, young sir, will clean the entire classroom after the bell."

Bon groaned but didn't argue. Rin opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off my Corinne's musical voice.

"I'm sorry, sensei, but I'm confused," she said politely.

"What 'bout?" Shura grunted as she adjusted her hair.

"Why would the Grigori want a demon?" she asked, but there was a hint of disgust in her voice.

"Studyin'... and stuff. Helps us learn 'bout Gehenna, and the demons we use as familiars… and stuff."

"Why would we need to study them?" Corrine pressed on.

"I just said-" Shura began.

"Because why would we need anything from demons except their deaths? Demons are _demons_. Even familiars can turn against their masters. Wouldn't it just be better to eradicate the entire race?"

"Hey!" Rin said, suddenly standing up from beside the girl. She turned to give him an ice-blue glare. "I have a familiar, you know!"

"So do I," Izumo added.

"And Nee-chan would never turn against me!" Shiemi protested.

"But they're _demons!_" Corinne argued. "They're _hellspawn_ and the children of _Satan!_" She didn't miss Rin's wince at her words.

"That's enough." The words, surprisingly, came from Bon. "Many demons are evil, but some are good. Many humans are evil, but some are good. Are you suggesting we kill humans too?"

Corinne started in shock. "Of course not!" she defended hotly. "That's against the Lord's teachings!"

"Guys," Rin interjected. "Forget it. Corinne's obviously passionate about an exorcist's line of work, but-" He turned to Corinne. "-familiars are extremely helpful demons."

"Not to mention, many demonic studies have helped to save lives. Good, ordinary human lives," Shiemi added.

"Whatever." Corinne huffed, glaring at Rin before looking away.

"Now, as I was saying," Shura grumbled.

* * *

"U-um, Rin, can I talk to you?" Corinne mumbled, playing with the hem of her skirt. The last bell of the day had rung and all of the exwires were in the process of leaving.

"Sure!" The black-haired boy grinned as he clambered up from the desk he had just been sleeping on. He slung his ever-present sword case over his shoulder as he followed Corinne out of the classroom.

"Hey, if this is about earlier, then I'm sorry for startling you," Rin said as they walked into the courtyard. "It's just that Kuro is my familiar, and he was my dad's too. He's family. Plus, Nee is really helpful and all."

"It's not about that," Corinne said dismissively. She turned to watch the tiny forms of their classmates in the distance grow smaller and smaller as they walked in the other direction.

"I want to talk about demons."

"Oh." Rin blushed in embarrassment. "I'm really not too smart on this school stuff. You might want to talk to my brother."

"He's not your brother," Corinne stated, her back still turned.

"N-no, I'm pretty sure he is…" Rin laughed nervously.

"_Stop lying!_" Corinne shouted.

"Huh?"

"I said _stop lying!_ He can't be your brother! Just like the 'father' you mentioned earlier? I heard about him. Father Fujimoto, Paladin, Exorcist, and last time I checked, _not a demon!_"

"What?" Rin's playful smile dropped from his face.

Finally, Corinne spun around. A dreadful fire burned in her eyes. "I almost bought it, that first time you walked into the room," she hissed. "That silly facade that you fool your classmates with. I can't believe they just swallow it." She suddenly took a step closer until she was right in his face.

"I don't know how you do it, act so _innocent_ when you know what you are. You're the lowest of the low, the filthiest of the filth. You're a _demon._"

"Hey!" Rin shouted.

"I am _so glad_ I came to True Cross," Corinne continued. "Now I know why the Grigori wanted me here. They must have known something was amiss." She took a few steps back, shaking out her hair and grinning triumphantly. "Don't worry, hellspawn. I'll end you right now."

Rin took a step back from her fury. "U-um, wait-" he sputtered.

"Please, O Lord, I entreat you and your children to raise my soul, and call to my father and mother to bless me with their sun!" Corinne shouted. A nimbus of pure white light surrounded her, blinding Rin momentarily and making him stumble backwards.

The light faded to reveal Corinne standing just as she had been - except for her new additions. Stretching out behind her were two large, white, feathered wings.

"EH?" Rin shouted as he scrambled backwards.

"Run, demon," Corinne gloated. "I am an Angel, sent to purge you from this earth."

"Aw, shit," Rin cursed as he turned tail and ran. A beam of white light burned the ground near his foot as he skidded around a corner.

"Scared, demon? Afraid you'll lose?" The taunts rang through the air as an accompaniment to the sound of explosions.

"W-wait!" Rin yelled from behind a pillar. "The Grigori know about me!"

"Yes, they must," Corinne's voice mused from a little too nearby in Rin's opinion. "That's why I was sent here, most likely. To destroy you."

"They had better not!" Rin shouted as his cover was literally blown (up). "I saved their fancy asses once, and they better not have forgotten that!"

"Incorrect. That is impossible. You're a demon." Corinne shot another beam at Rin who skidded out of the way, suddenly thankful for his demon reflexes.

"Yeah, I sure as hell am!" Rin screamed in frustration. "I'm a freaking _good_ demon who sliced Amaimon's ass to save the Grigori's!"

"There's no such thing as a good demon!" Corinne suddenly yelled, her voice breaking.

"Aw, shaddup!" Rin yelled right back. "I sure may not be from heaven, but the Lord only knows I've tried to do good!" Finally having enough, he uncovered Kurikara.

Corinne's eyes widened, now an almost unrecognizable stormy blue. "Why can't you die like a proper demon? Why do you look like a human? Why are you so damn _likeable?!_" she screamed in vexation.

Her words froze Rin right before he unsheathed his sword.

"What?"

"You're funny!" Corinne screamed, throwing more bolts at him. "You're nice! You're caring, and kind, and you stand up for your friends! You even tried to help me!" Each of her words was punctuated with another destructive beam.

"I _told_ you, I'm not evil! I don't care how holy or angelic you are, but I'm not a demon unless I let myself become one!"

That seemed to send Corinne over the edge. With another cry of anger she shot her beam again, this time just clipping the edge of Rin's left arm.

Rin suddenly felt a searing pain on his shoulder. His demon side roared to life, his pupils narrowing into slits. Almost of their own volition, his hands grabbed Kurikara and drew it in one smooth motion, blue flames blazing all around him. Corinne let out a painful gasp.

"Satan! Child of Satan!" She hissed. Rin snarled in response, finally pissed at the angel's actions. He jumped towards her and swung his blade only to have her dodge it. She ran backwards from him, using soft beats from her wings to keep her balanced.

Rin attempted to shoot some of his flames at her, but she merely dodged again and shot back some white beams of her own. He skidded around the courtyard, avoiding her shots and growling as she did the same.

"Demon!" Corinne crowed. "Traitor! Liar! _Monster!_"

With every word, Rin could feel his demon side growing stronger and more insistent. _Damn,_ he thought as he fought for breath, _this feels almost like the time I lost it and broke Kurikara. I've got to finish this or I'll really become a monster._

"RIN!" A new voice screamed above the noise. Both demon and angel turned to look at the exwire class - their friends.

"RIN!" Shiemi screamed again, her hands at her mouth.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Bon yelled to Corinne as Shima pulled out is K'rik and Izumo frantically dug in her pockets for her summoning circles.

"Stay back!" Corinne called as she resumed her barrage against the black-haired twin. "It's not Rin! It's a demon!"

"WE KNOW, YOU IDIOT!" Izumo shouted.

"Rin's a half-demon! He's with True Cross!" Konekomaru yelled.

"He can't be! He's the son of Satan!" Corinne replied, not stopping her attacks. Rin darted around her so his back was to his friends to protect them from the destruction.

"Run, you idiots!" Rin growled, his words almost unrecognizable. "Go get Yukio! Oh, what the hell, go get Mephisto! Someone who can stop her!"

"We're not leaving you!" Shiemi protested.

"GO! She's an Angel! She's not an opponent you can handle!" Rin deflected a beam with his sword before turning to glare at them. "Get a _move_ on!"

Corinne chose this exact time to make use of her glorious wings. She rose gracefully into the air, the dust stirred by her wings creating swirls of leaves.

Shiemi and Izumo took off in the direction of the academy, Shima hot on their heels. Bon and Konekomaru hesitated a moment.

Just long enough for a stray shot from Corinne to dislodge a rock above Konekomaru that fell right onto his shoulder.

"OW!" He yelled as he fell down.

Rin let out a fearsome growl as his eyes took on a reddish tint. Suddenly, a piercing scream tore through the air as an excruciating pain tore through Rin's back. Doubling over from the pain, Bon and Konekomaru stood up just in time to see two black lumps burst through the back of Rin's uniform. Rin thrashed his head from side to side as the lumps grew expanded into two large, bat-like wings coated in blue fire.

"Holy crap," Bon gasped.

"My Lord," Konekomaru said softly.

"Shit," Rin growled as he twisted his head around in an effort to see his back, the pain clearing his mind. "I'm never going to fit in my uniform again."

**I swear Corinne is not the antagonist in this fic. The main enemy comes... later? This is more setting up for the 'later'. And Corinne loses most of her b*tchiness later.**

**Thank you, PiNerd, for the comment! And I know I rush plot, I'm sorry... but in all honesty, this part right now is just really action-packed exposition. The real plot gets started either next chapter or the one after. But thanks so much for the comment and critique! I'll try to work on that ^-^**

**REVIEWS ARE LIFE, PLEASE LEAVE THEM!**

**Enjoy!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Another chapter! Yay!**

"You're descending," Corinne said in an emotionless voice.

"I'm doing _what _now?" Rin called as he spun in circles, attempting to get a good view of his wings.

"You're falling! You're descending into a demon," she snarled. "Just look at you! You've got fangs, a tail, and now wings. What separates you from a true demon now?"

Rin stopped trying to view his bat-like additions and leveled the full force of his fiery gaze on the angel.

"My heart," he replied.

"Demons can't have a heart."

"Then that is why I will never be one."

Corinne let out another curse before resuming her attack with even more vehemence than before. This boy, this _demon_, had dared to shake the foundations of everything she had been taught in Heaven. Lying demons must pay, for lying is a sin.

"Corinne, stop!" Konekomaru yelled, wincing as he tried to stand with his hand on his injured shoulder.

"WHY ARE PROTECTING A DEMON?!" she screamed back.

"Look, this may not make sense to an angel," Bon said as he helped Konekomaru, "But Rin is our friend. He's saved us on numerous occasions." Bon took a deep breath and swallowed hard.

"He may be an idiot, but he's no demon."

"Marvelous, simply marvelous!"

Everybody in what was left of the courtyard jumped as Mephisto applauded. Rin, Bon, and Konekomaru all let out exasperated but relieved sighs.

"Now, what do we have here?" The demon king mused, assessing the carnage before him. "Little brother, it seems you have caused quite the mess."

"Hey!" Rin shouted. "I didn't start this, she did!"

"And what's with the wings, hmm?" Mephisto chuckled. "I didn't know fighting an angel would bring out this strong of a reaction in you, dear brother!"

"Headmaster?" Corinne's confused voice reached them as she slowly touched to the ground.

"Ah, my dear! Whatever is going on?" Mephisto smiled, showing his canines, while her wings shimmered and disappeared.

"Hey, can you show me how to do that?" Rin asked, pointing where her wings used to be.

"Shut up, demon," Corinne said dismissively as she approached Mephisto (who was currently hovering in his favorite armchair near the fountain which, miraculously, had survived the onslaught). "Sir, a demon attempted to infiltrate True Cross Academy under the guise of a human student."

"But he's not human," Mephisto said, puzzled. "He's quite obviously a half-demon."

Corinne gaped at him. "You _knew?_"

"Of course I knew, dear! I _am _both Rin and Yukio's legal guardian as of the Paladin's death, so I was obviously made aware of Rin's heritage. Not to mention, I was present for his and his brother's birth!"

"B-but he's a d-demon," Corinne stuttered, her face shocked.

"And so is he," Rin whispered from nearby her shoulder. Corinne's face grew horrified.

"No. No, it can't be," she whispered. "It's not possible. Demons are evil! They kill humans and cause destruction! They only bring pain, and hurt, and death! They can't run schools, or be kind, or protect people!" By the end of her rant, the white-haired angel was screaming into the silent night.

"Corinne." Rin sheathed his sword and felt his flames die out. The angel haltingly turned to look at the demon.

"How many demons have you known? Have you ever really met one?" Mutely, Corinne shook her head. "Some demons are evil. Very evil. But I was human first, and I learned to love as a human and not hate as Satan's son."

"Well said, well said!" Mephisto cheered, clapping again. Rin shot him a tiny glare. "The point is, Miss Belator, the Grigori already know about Rin."

"What?" Corinne exclaimed.

"That's what I was trying to tell you!" Rin complained.

"Rin happened to save them from one of my disreputable brothers, Amaimon. As thanks for his help, they agreed not to kill him!"

"Oh, how _kind_ of them," Bon said sarcastically.

"RIN!" Shiemi called as she appeared in a broken doorway, closely followed by Izumo and Shima. All three of them skidded to a stop when they saw Rin's black wings.

"Rin, your back!" Shima cried in horror.

"Yes, that _is _a problem," Mephisto agreed.

"Ya think?" Rin muttered. Corinne was still looking wildly between Mephisto and Rin.

"I do believe his demon side reacted to an angel with different abilities than his," Mephisto said thoughtfully.

"Are you serious?" Rin looked slightly green. "Aw man, I had better not fight an angel with a fish head or something…"

"Idiot! There are no angels like that!" Corinne hissed.

"Thank goodness," Rin sighed, flashing her a pointy grin. She glared in response.

"Why am I here if not to eradicate him?" Corinne asked, gesturing to Rin who was now stretching his wings with a look of wonder.

"Most likely to learn how to cooperate with certain demons," Izumo said pointedly.

"Exactly!" Mephisto congratulated the exwire. "You're going to be working with the Vatican throughout your life, so they want to get you used to demons!" He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "They were afraid your… radical education might cause some problems."

Corinne blushed slightly. "Well, it's not my fault everyone in heaven is taught to hate and eradicate anything having to do with Satan or demons."

"Oh, you wound me!" Mephisto said dramatically, clutching his chest.

"But, Mephisto… these are really huge," Rin said as he ran his hand under the edge of his left wing. It was made of tough, leathery skin. "They're not going to fit under clothes like a tail."

"They merely want you to have a supplementary education," Mephisto explained to Corinne, ignoring Rin.

"But why wouldn't they tell me that I was going to be in class with a _demon?_" She complained. At this sign that she wasn't going to kill Rin, Shiemi let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"That _is_ the question is it not?" Mephisto agreed. "I assumed you already knew when you arrived here. Ah, well, what's past is past!"

"My past is still attached VERY NOTICEABLY to my back!" Rin said loudly. The demon and angel continued to ignore him.

"If you wouldn't mind, dear, could you try to get along with my little brother Rin here? He is rather important, not to mention I will be very put out with you if you shoot his brains out."

"If he had any to begin with," Bon muttered.

"HEY!" Rin protested.

"Of course, Sir," Corinne bowed politely. "But, do you mind if I take tomorrow off to make a quick visit to the Vatican headquarters?"

"Not at all, not at all!" Mephisto agreed readily. "Thank goodness we've gotten that all cleared up. Now, I have some ramen that should be ready any moment, so I will be taking my leave now. Ciao~" And with a garish purple flash that smelled like strawberries, the demon king of time disappeared.

"Gah! He didn't help me at all!" Rin whined loudly. By now, the other exwires had joined Rin and Corinne. Shiemi reached out hesitantly towards Rin's wing.

"U-um, may I…?" She asked nervously.

"Sure," Rin said. Shiemi wonderingly ran her fingers down the top of his wings. They twitched slightly under her hands and expanded a tiny bit. She giggled and continued to marvel at the thin bones that stretched from the middle wing joint. Eventually, both Shima and Konekomaru joined in. Shiemi lightly touched the wing membrane right underneath where it connected to his back and Rin let out a gasp as his wings suddenly snapped backwards.

"That tickles," he chuckled, laughing at their attempts to avoid the movements of his wings.

"Rin." Corinne's voice sounded from behind them.

Rin whirled around in surprise, one of his wings narrowly missing Bon who hurriedly jumped out of the way. Both Izumo and Shima took up defensive positions slightly in front of Rin.

"Relax, I'm not going to attack him," she said, her hands held up in front of her.

"How can we trust you?" Izumo countered. Corinne rolled her eyes.

"Rin. Imagine your back as it was before your wings, and then imagine them slowly - slowly, mind you - melding back into that first image."

"What?"

"Oh, just do what I said!" She sounded exasperated.

"U-uh, okay?" Rin said, then closed his eyes as if he was concentrating. His wings began to rapidly shrink and recede into his back before he suddenly let out a loud yelp and dropped to his knees.

"Slow down!" Corinne yelled. Rin's face was contorted in pain but gradually smoothed out as his wings continued to recede until they disappeared into his back.

"Thanks," he gasped.

"No problem," she said as Rin stood up. "The more experienced you get, the faster you can go it and the less it hurts. I'm guessing yours will pop out every time you unsheathe your hellsword, so you'll probably get a lot of experience."

"It's called Kurikara."

"It's a hellsword."

"Kurikara."

"Hellsword."

"Kurikara!"

"Hellsword!"

"Why does it matter?!" Izumo shouted at the pair of them.

"Well," Rin said, shifting uncomfortably. "I dunno, hellsword just sounds more… demony."

"Because it's a demon sword," Corinne pointed out.

"Whatever," Rin dismissed with a smile as he walked over by a shattered pillar to retrieve Kurikara's cover.

"Wait, so just like that?" Konekomaru said in amazement.

"What?" Rin asked as he rejoined the group.

"She, you know, tried to kill you, but you guys are all best buddies now?" Izumo said skeptically.

"It's not her fault," Rin defended. "In fairness, she's an angel sent by the Grigori and I'm a half-demon. If I was her, I'd attack me too!"

"Oh, but… sorry about your arm," Corinne said awkwardly.

"No problem," Konekomaru said in amazement. "It's fine, just a little bruised."

"Don't hold this against her, guys," Rin said cheerfully.

'Sure. Whatever," Izumo said, looking away. Shiemi nodded enthusiastically. The other boys exchanged a look and shrugged.

"I really am sorry about this," Corinne apologized.

"No biggie," Rin reassured her. "One time, I broke Kurikara and went ape-shiz all over Amaimon, but destroyed a lot of this one forest. This is nothing compared to then."

Corinne gave him a cautious smile before bowing to the group and hurrying away in the direction of the girl's dorm. Shiemi quickly followed, Izumo shrugging but leaving as well.

"Rin, are you sure you're okay?" Shima asked, folding up his K'rik.

"I'm totally fine!" Rin smiled.

"RIN! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Yukio's panicked shout rang through the remains of the courtyard.

"Aw, man," Rin said, suddenly looking nervous. "I'm gonna have to explain this whole thing to him…"

"RIN! I CAN HEAR YOU, I KNOW YOU'RE THERE! ANSWER ME, YOU GOOD-FOR-NOTHING OLDER BROTHER!"

"He sounds pissed," Bon commented helpfully.

"Thanks for clearing that up," Rin answered sarcastically. "Alright, I'm out. I've got to go get my demon butt kicked before I can explain what _really_ happened. Actually, he'll probably shoot me before I even get to the explaining part."

As Rin left Konekomaru, Shima, and Bon, each of them were suddenly very glad they were _not _Rin.

**Please R&amp;R! And thanks to Alexc1209, Bell Loves Books, and of course PiNerd for the comments!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again! Enjoy the next chapter! (PS - this should clarify some things, PiNerd ^-^)**

**The Next Morning**

"Where's Professor Yukio?" Shiemi asked in a worried voice, casting nervous glances where the young teacher usually stood.

"Dunno," Bon yawned, putting his feet up on his desk. "Maybe he's still beating Rin's sorry butt." Shima snickered.

"Sorry I'm late, Yukio!" Rin shouted as he sprinted into class five minutes late.

"Speak of the devil," Bon grumbled.

"He's not here yet," Izumo said.

"Oh," Rin smiled. "Then I'm not late!"

Bon rolled his eyes. "The bell already rung, you dweeb."

"Yeah, but if the teach isn't here to see me late, then I' not really late, am I?"

"What if I told him?" Bon challenged.

Rin smirked confidently. "You won't."

"Oh? And why's that?"

"'Cause I'll make you lunch tomorrow," Rin promised.

Bon sniffed but immediately gave in. "Fine. It's the only thing you're good at, anyway."

"Ah, wonderful!" A voice like strawberries and pink floated in from the doorway. Rin let out a tiny sigh.

"I see you're all gathered! Perfect, I have some news to tell you!" Mephisto said cheerfully.

"It is way too early to see so much purple," Bon grimaced.

"It's the afternoon," Rin pointed out.

"I know."

"Well, my lovely students, the task of cleaning the courtyard falls to you! Have fun!" The demon king announced gleefully. The entire class let out a groan.

"Why? It's not our mess, it's Rin's!" Izumo protested.

Rin immediately denied the blame. "Hey, the crazy angel chick started it!"

"Yeah, but you chose to fight her!" Izumo countered.

Rin stood up and put his hands on his hips defiantly. "I had no choice," he declared. "She was shooting white laser beam-y things at me."

"She attacked you because you're the demon!"

"Well, I didn't ask to be one!" Rin shouted.

The whole class grew uncomfortably silent.

"U-um, sorry," Izumo stuttered, for once not being stubborn. Rin, too, blushed furiously.

"S'okay," he muttered. "It's not your fault."

Silence.

"Lucky Corinne, getting off easy!" Bon said a bit too loudly.

"Yeah, new students have all the luck, huh?" Konekomaru agreed, laughing nervously. The rest of class joined in halfheartedly.

"Have fun in the courtyard! I expect perfection by the end of the school day~" Mephisto interjected, totally ignoring the elephant in the room.

"Geez, this guy can't sense the mood at all," Shima groaned.

"A-ah, Headmaster?" Shiemi called cautiously.

'Yes, my dear? What can I do for you?" Mephisto said politely.

"I was wondering where Professor Yukio was," she explained.

"Oh! I gave him the day off, since there was no class today!" Mephisto gave her a wink before disappearing in a cloud of fluff, making them all cough.

"Let's get going," Rin said in a bright tone that sounded a bit forced. "After all, the sooner we get done, the sooner we can leave and do whatever we want."

"How about we go out for monja later?" Izumo asked a bit apprehensively.

"Sure!" Rin agreed lightly, smiling again. The class grabbed their school bags and began to walk to the courtyard, falling naturally back into their easy rhythm of insults, jabs, and small talk. The gloomy atmosphere seemed to lighten as they went on.

**Elsewhere, at the same time**

Corinne looked around the forest nervously. Though she knew _who_ she was meeting here, she nonetheless had a bad feeling about these woods. They seemed to give off a dark aura that grew steadily stronger the further she walked in. She began to hurry her pace, straining to see through the deep green shadows as she tried to see the old graveyard.

"Calm down, calm down," she murmured to herself. "It's only Leviathan, you've met him like a billion times."

"Indeed you have, my little angel," a deep voice said, startling her out of her panic. "What is making you so uneasy, child?"

Corinne looked up to see a tall, fair man balanced on top of a crumbling stone cross. _The cemetery_, she thought in relief. Indeed, the man's current perch was the largest headstone in the field of graves. Leviathan stood up, smiling benevolently down at the young angel. He had light blonde, almost white, hair that was cropped short with a black streak running just above his right ear. He was wearing standard High Angel garb - a robe-like garment that draped over his left shoulder secured by a golden clasp. A red katana bound by his waist matched his blood red wings.

"Leviathan!" Corinne sighed. "Sorry, it's just these woods… they make me very uneasy."

Leviathan gracefully floated down from the cross, his robes fluttering as he landed lighter than a feather. His wings nearly blocked out the sun before shimmering and dissipating into a red mist.

"That is understandable," he rumbled in a reassuring voice. "Demons can lurk in the most natural places." His light gray eyes narrowed as he spoke.

"Speaking of," Corinne began. "I came to talk about Rin Okumura."

"Ah, yes!" Leviathan smiled broadly. "The little half-demon. Tell me everything you know."

"Well, he looks normal most of the time, but his powers are sealed in a hellsword called Kurikara."

"Interesting. Does he easily draw it?"

"No, not at all," she explained. "He wouldn't draw it until about halfway through our fight."

"So you managed to fight him!" Leviathan looked overjoyed.

"Yes, per your orders, I managed to start a conflict with him."

Leviathan leaned forward eagerly. "Was it easy?"

"Pfft," Corinne snorted. "He may be a demon, but he's totally an idiot. I merely told him I needed to speak with him after class and he swallowed it whole. I shot a few beams at him and he jumped into the fray."

"That is… a bit concerning," Leviathan spoke, looking slightly troubled. He caught Corinne's confused look and hurried to explain. "I just mean, if you could draw him into a destructive fight - I assume it was so, due to his demonic powers? - with just by a few words of distraction and then some miniscule attacks, then he could get drawn into any number of fights. Demons are notoriously unobservant while they fight, and many… innocent humans may get killed as collateral damage."

Corinne nodded fervently. "He did cause some damage, but then again, so did I. He relies on his sword for attacking and doesn't seem to have a good handle on his flames yet. He can use them, just not very effectively."

Leviathan was nodding with every piece of information she divulged, the look in his eyes saying this was the most interesting thing he'd heard in a while.

"How is his personality?"

"Well, to be honest, I didn't know he was the demon until the second week of class," she admitted.

"Oh?" Leviathan sounded surprised.

"Yeah, he's totally weird," Corinne continued. "He's, like, helpful and nice to everyone… he's always smiling. I thought the demon was another exwire, Bon Suguro, but I confirmed it the second week when Rin didn't participate in a holy water test."

"I see." Leviathan's gray eyes suddenly seemed cold.

"I will tell you this, however," Corinne said in a voice that almost sounded like a warning. "He's fiercely protective of his friends. The moment one of them was injured in the fight, his control over his demon side slipped. In fact, he slipped so far he developed demon wings."

Leviathan's straightened in surprise. "Friends? _Wings?_ I had no idea he was so powerful."

"Sorry?"

"Not every demon has wings like - us angels," Leviathan said, leaving a strange pause. "It signifies a very strong power. Not even all of the Eight Demon Kings of Hell have them."

"Oh. I didn't know."

"And how could he have made _friends?_" Leviathan mused.

"He's a very likeable person," Corinne began cautiously. "He doesn't lose control of his powers and he's easy to get along with."

"But still, friends?" Leviathan scoffed. "You're sure this is the demon? The Son of Satan?"

"O-of course!" Corinne defended, her cheeks flushing hotly. "I fought him!"

"Right, child," Leviathan soothed. "I am sorry for doubting you. Thank you for this information, it has been very… helpful. If you wouldn't mind, I'd like you to stay on this assignment a little longer. I assume you haven't blown your cover to Mephistopheles, that useless, air-headed demon king?" Leviathan's voice was filled with disgust and decidedly un-angelic. Corinne gave an unconscious shiver. _Lord, these High Angels can be so unsettling at times,_ she thought.

"Don't worry about that," she dismissed. "I made it seem like I was some extremist, radical angel child who hated demons with a passion. Of course, I do," she hurriedly said, "but I wouldn't attack a demon anywhere near innocent bystanders like I did there."

"Wonderful, my child, wonderful!" Leviathan praised. "Thank you so much. I bid you farewell and good luck on your mission. Speak to me here again soon."

"Of course, Leviathan," Corinne promised, bowing respectfully. She turned to leave, but paused just as she was about to exit the graveyard.

"Leviathan?"

"Yes, angel?"

"Why weren't you angry when you heard I injured a bystander in my fight with Rin?"

"Huh?" Leviathan sounded genuinely confused.

"Isn't it one of the most basic rules of angels that we never, _ever_ cause harm to a human?"

"O-oh," Leviathan said softly before his tone brightened. "Well, since I know you would never cause serious harm to a human, I assumed it was fine. And Corinne?"

"Yes, Leviathan?"

"This mission takes priority over _everything_. Even our angelic code of ethics."

"Of course," Corinne acquiesced before feeling the light breeze that signaled Leviathan's departure.

_Over everything? Why is Rin so important? Won't he go to hell with his father and brothers when he dies? Can't we leave him alone until he gets killed by his own idiocy?_

_Why does Leviathan leave me with more questions than answers?_

_Why do I feel guilty about the thought of Rin dying?_

_What really makes a demon?_

**Later, at True Cross**

"I don't trust her."

"Me neither."

"An angel? She seems more demonic than Rin."

"I agree."

Shiemi was the first to voice any kind of opposition to the exwire class' - minus Rin - opinions.

"I don't know," she said quietly. "She was sent by the Grigori. I mean, think about how we first reacted to Rin's secret." Konekomaru shifted uncomfortably.

"But think about how quickly she changed tunes after the fight. I get the feeling she knew the whole time," Izumo pointed out. Bon nodded sagely.

"I still don't know…" Shiemi deliberated.

"Oh, c'mon," Shima said. "You don't find her the least bit suspicious?"

"I didn't say that!" Shiemi cried indignantly. "I just… don't want to condemn her just yet. It makes me feel bad."

"Well that makes one of us," Izumo huffed. "I don't like her at all."

"Izumo," Shima chuckled. "You don't like anyone, except for maybe Paku."

"W-well, Corinne is totally differe-" Izumo began hotly before she was interrupted by a loud shout.

"I couldn't find your bag, Shiemi!" Rin called as he ran up to the rest of the exwires, out of breath from exertion.

"O-oh, r-really?" Shiemi stuttered. "T-that's so odd, I could have sworn I left it in the room…"

"Whatever, let's just go to the monja place," Bon growled. _Shiemi sucks at lying,_ he thought.

"Yeah! Monja!" Rin cheered. Shiemi laughed and walked next to him as the True Cross students left their cram school.

**Everything is not as it seems. However, the fact that you should leave reviews will never change! So PLEASE DO! :)**

**I may not update tomorrow, but next week is Spring Break for me so I should be able to type a lot!**


	5. Chapter 5

**First of all, I AM SO SORRY THIS IS SO LATE. I really don't have a good excuse, so instead I shall give you a chapter. The next one should be _relatively_ soon, but my updates will probably be more like every three to four days now. Sorry about that. To everyone who reads, thanks for waiting!**

If there was one thing Rin was grateful for about his demon heritage, it had to be the wings.

Flying was _incredible_. Rin felt free, lighter than air, better than he had since his father - foster father - died. At least, he did until he crashed into a wall.

Which he did.

A lot.

But in his defense, flying was _hard._ Air currents, breezes, temperature, weather, and all that other stuff he never bothered to pay attention to in school was suddenly important. Not just important, but essential, and still just as confusing as he remembered it.

However, Rin loved the feeling of the air rushing past his skin as he soared through the night. He only flew at night, of course; the danger of being seen during the day was too high and he could see in the dark anyway. There was still a chance a normal human could look up and see him flying, but he hoped they'd just think it was a demented bat or something.

Rin frequented the rooftop of his and Yukio's dorm even more now, using it as a launching pad to get some starting speed. He discovered he could summon his wings out at any time and that growing them hurt way less than losing them.

It was here that Rin was perching again, nearly leaning over the edge of the building as he let the breeze ruffle his wings. His eyes were closed as he merely… felt.

"RIN!" An irritatingly loud and familiar voice called. Rin's eyes snapped open.

"Why is it always 'Rin'? Why can't I ever yell 'Yukio' and come grill his butt about something totally unimportant?" he grumbled.

"Rin, I _told_ you, you shouldn't go prancing around the sky without a care in the world until your homework is done!" Yukio reprimanded.

"How do you know if I did my homework or not?" Rin said belligerently. _Even though I didn't,_ he thought.

"Rin," Yukio explained patiently. "I _live_ with you."

Rin sniffed and turned back to the ledge.

"...Hey, Yukio?"

"What is it now?"

"Do you think I'll ever be able to walk around like a normal person? Without worrying about one of the Grigori's babysitters, or a demon king, or some crazy angel?"

"No." Yukio sounded absolute, completely unfazed by the serious and frankly depressing conversation topic.

"Wow, thanks," Rin said sarcastically.

"Rin, look at the truth. You're an awakened half-demon who lets his flames loose at every little fight-"

"Do not!" Rin protested hotly. Yukio gave him a severe look.

"But the only way you will be viewed as 'safe' by the Grigori is if you work for them, pretty much for the rest of your life."

Rin turned back to his twin brother. "What if I left? Just up and disappeared one day?"

Yukio stared back without hesitation. "They'd find you, and they'd kill you."

"Thought so," Rin sighed. "Ah, well, at least I have a job I _have_ to keep now."

Yukio pushed his glasses up. "Get some sleep soon, okay?"

"Mm. Sure." Rin's eyes were already focused on the horizon again. He stood up, stretched his wings out to their full length, and simply fell off the roof. Yukio watched his descent until he flared out his wings and took off, nearly skimming the grass as he dived and returned to the night. Without his flames and in only the light of the moon, he seemed to blend in with the dark sky and falling stars.

"Impressive." The emotionless voice came from behind Yukio.

"Corinne." The exorcist didn't sound surprised.

"I don't understand it," Corinne said curiously, standing up from where she had been leaning on the stairs to the roof. She began walking over to Yukio as she spoke. "Why would a Middle First Class exorcist waste his time with the Son of Satan?"

Yukio stiffened just the tiniest bit. "Rin and I are twins."

"I get that you're birth twins," the angel dismissed,"but you're genetically different. At least, in terms of power you are."

"We're genetically identical," Yukio said shortly.

"Why? Why do you want to claim kinship with a demon?" There was a kind of sick curiosity in Corinne's voice, the kind that makes people look at pictures of car crashes and murders, but there was also a genuine desire to _understand_ in her eyes.

"I guess it doesn't make sense to someone who was raised to kill demons," Yukio answered, adjusting his glasses again. "Rin is my brother. Before he was an idiot, before he was a delinquent, before he was a demon, he was still my brother. The older one, if you can believe that."

Corinne was standing near the edge of the roof that Rin had jumped off of, peering into the sky as if trying to spot him. "I heard you had your future decided for you. Rumor has it Father Fujimoto recruited you when you were six to help keep Rin under control."

"I was seven."

"Same difference."

"And it was to _protect_ Rin, not control him. That's not the same."

"Nevertheless," Corinne said softly, staring the stars. "You have a chance now to escape your duty. Wouldn't you want to take it?"

"Sorry to challenge your angelic stereotypes," Yukio replied in an uncharacteristically sharp voice, "but my father - not Satan, my _father_ \- taught both Rin and I that family is everything." And with that, Yukio turned around and began to descend the staircase.

Corinne, who remained staring at the stars, spoke quietly to the night. "Family, huh…"

* * *

"Rin, what powers do you have?"

"Huh?"

Rin stared at Corinne, open-mouthed. The angel hadn't really spoken to him since their 'little spat' except for school related things, such as "Can you pass me that paper?" or "You idiot, you're reading it upside down!".

"U-um, powers?" He chuckled nervously.

"Yes. Powers," Corinne nodded emphatically.

"Fire."

"And?"

"Uh, that's it?"

"What?" Corinne said, leaning back in surprise. "Come on, you have to be lying."

Rin looked around nervously. The angel had caught him as he walked to True Cross, so they were alone. And it was making him nervous.

"No, I really only have flames. Well, and the wings, if you count them."

"I don't." Corinne noticed his nervous fidgeting. "Relax, half-demon, I'm not going to attack you unless you do something evil."

Rin gave her an exasperated glance. "For the last time, I am not going to go murder innocent children. I am going to sleep through school, go home, and sleep some more. Okay?" Corinne merely sniffed and walked ahead of him, her head held high and proud. Rin rolled his eyes.

"Interesting," the angel murmured as soon as she was out of hearing distance. "He's this amazingly powerful demon, but he can barely use his flames. And he's totally dependent upon his sword." Corinne continued to send suspicious glances back at the oblivious exwire as she walked, already planning her next meeting with Leviathan.

"Alright, anyone else thinks that just _reeked _of suspicion?" Bon said smugly. He was currently watching the angel and demon's interaction, comfortably lounging on a stone bench near the entrance to True Cross. Konekomaru, Shima, and Izumo all nodded in agreement. Shiemi bit her lip but nodded hesitantly as well.

"Don't you think we shouldn't be condemning and angel? Like, isn't there a rule about that somewhere?" she protested softly. "I agree that she's acting suspiciously, but…" Shiemi sighed. "Even my excuses don't make sense anymore."

"Sometimes people aren't as good as we believe them to be." Izumo stood up and slung her bookbag over her shoulder. "C'mon, we don't want stalking duty to make us late for class." The rest of the exwires rose and followed her, content to let the issue stew in the back of their minds as their attention turned to a Demon Pharmacology test in first period. The group met up with Rin as they entered the school.

"Did you study for our test, Rin?" Shiemi asked good-naturedly, smiling at her classmate.

Rin's face grew deathly pale. "T-test?"

* * *

"In short, he's totally useless as a demon," Corinne reported. "As I said earlier, he makes friends, acts nice, and won't attack unless provoked. I've learned a lot about demons through my classes at True Cross, and Rin is _not_ one of them."

"That is… incredibly _interesting,_" Leviathan said, looking off into the distance. Smoky wisps of mist curled around the edges of his cloak like grasping fingers.

Corinne rolled her eyes. "Pardon my insolence, but why is he so important?"

"I do believe that will become clear to you abundantly soon," the angel chuckled. "In fact, he-" Leviathan suddenly paused, then chuckled again. "My, my."

"What?" Corinne asked, slightly unnerved by the High Angel's unfinished sentence.

"Something rather interesting is happening at you school, my little angel. I suggest we finish this conversation later."

"Huh? Wait, really?!" Corinne looked wildly around before spinning around in a panic.

"No, my dear!" Leviathan called after her. "You're going to need your wings."

Corinne shot her superior a wide-eyed look before allowing her wings to burst from her back and taking off into the sky.

"Ah, this is getting so interesting!" Leviathan gloated, spreading his own wings out to catch the weak rays of sunlight that pierced the forest canopy. "I'll have to thank my brother for that one…"

Up above the trees, Corinne's mindset was in a rather different state. _Whatever is happening at True Cross must be important if Leviathan had to interrupt my report. I didn't even get to tell him the extent of Rin's powers. Crap, it's like this school is freaking cursed!_

* * *

Earlier that morning, class had started without their angel exwire.

"Hey, why does Corinne get to skip on test days?" Rin complained, giving his brother a glare as the bell rung. "She was here earlier."

Yukio sighed at his brother.

_God, I hate it when he does that,_ Rin thought.

"Corinne has requested leave to visit the Grigori again. The only reason she was present earlier was to inform the headmaster of her absence." Yukio adjusted his glasses and fixed a glare of his own on his twin.

"Can I request leave to visit my pillow?" Rin muttered.

"Now, since I'm _sure_ you studied for your test, let's begin," Yukio said a trifle vindictively as he began to pass out papers. Rin groaned.

The class fell silent as they pondered the first questions on their exam. Rin began to sweat as his brain turned completely blank (what was a _Ripley Scroll_ anyways? Something about a bird?).

And then, several things happened simultaneously.

Rin succeeded in knawing the top off of his pencil.

Bon changed his answer to the second question.

A resounding _crash_ echoed through the school.

Shima tried to see Konekomaru's answers.

Shura exploded into the room.

Izumo finished question three.

Dust rained down from the ceiling.

"Everyone, get up!" Shura nearly screamed at the exwire class who were all frozen in shock. Her demon sword was drawn and blood dripped down the side of her face.

Yukio was the first to recover. "Shura! What's going on?!" He yelled loudly before choking on the dust, drawing his gun with fumbling fingers. Bon and Shima had pulled a desk off of Izumo, but other than that all of the students were fine.

"Get yer big boy panties on for this one, four-eyes," Shura growled as vibrations began shaking the ground. "There's an _Ojikasai_ out there."

Yukio's eyes grew wide with shock and a tinge of fear.

"What's that?" Rin called as he helped Shiemi stand. Yukio turned to him slowly.

"Rin, draw your sword."

"Yukio, _what is it?_"

"We're not prepared for this," Yukio muttered. "Where's Mephisto? How many exorcists are on staff today?"

"YUKIO, FOR THE LAST TIME, TELL ME WHAT IT IS!" Rin roared.

"It's a 'fire prince'." Yukio's voice was hollow.

"Well, la-dee-freaking-da," Rin growled. "So, what, do we go out and bow or something?"

"No, you idiot!" Yukio flared right back. "It's a high-class demon, just below The King Of Fire, Satan's son! There's no way we can beat one with the exorcists we have now!" He shook his head in worried exasperation, and Rin was suddenly reminded he was the same age as the rest of them. "It's essentially a dragon."

Rin straightened and smiled. "Good thing we've got one of Satan's sons here."

**So there you have it :) I actually have a plan for this story, so I know where it's going. I'm really not the 'planning' type (I pretty much just make it up as I go and I self-beta, so feel free to point out mistakes!) but I actually wrote an extremely rough outline! Yay!**

**PLEASE review! I really, _really,_ appreciate it!**

**Oh, and AnonymousAndrea? I would LOVE some fan art and I really appreciate you comment! PiNerd, of course, you too!**


	6. Chapter 6

**What's this? A CHAPTER? I am a horrible person! Sorry this is so late, but as payment for my sins, it's extra long! Er, the bottom was a bit rushed, so I didn't proofread it very well... feel free to point out mistakes! Thanks for reading and R&amp;R!**

The _Ojikasai_ truly did look like the dragons of legend, but gone hideously wrong. It was a hulking behemoth, easily as large as a house. Or a mansion. It had four legs thick as tree trunks crowned with a set of wickedly sharp claws that scored deep ruts into the academy grounds. As the monster roared, a row of bristling spines emerged from its spine with a sickening, tearing sound.

The long serpentine neck led to the roots of nightmares and the bane of all things holy. Instead of eyes, the creature had filmy white orbs that stared unseeingly across the wreckage it had caused. In many places, its flesh had rotted and fallen away to reveal thin, glowing lines and cracking bones underneath. The putrification of its essence had caused its teeth to become exposed in its jaw, gleaming with slime and far more evil substances.

The creature roared again, shaking its head as it lost a bit more of its skin. Bits of fire dripped like liquid from its mouth, bringing into sharp focus the glowing lines that criss-crossed the monster's insides. Pieces of rubble strewn around the True Cross courtyard were already smouldering.

"Ew," Izumo remarked casually as the exwire class, plus Yukoi and Shura, crouched below the windows in their classroom. "I don't know if that thing is fire-based. It looks more like the mutilated love-child of the King of Fire and the King of Rot."

Everyone turned to look at Rin.

"Hey," Rin defended, putting his hands up in front of him, "I don't know what my Satanic brothers are doing. If they're having love-children, it's none of my business."

Shima shook his head. "Ugh, I _so_ did not need that visual." Shiemi let out a surprised giggle and Konekomaru smiled before another crash shook the building.

'We need to focus," Yukio ordered, peering above the windowsill. He analyzed the behemoth as it turned around in the courtyard and winced as it shattered more pillars.

"How much you wanna bet we're going to be cleaning that again?" Bon grumbled.

"Quiet," Yukio hissed. "At this point, we may not _live_ to clean again."

Bon promptly shut up.

"Shura, where's Mephisto?"

"That useless purple lump?" Shura sniffed in disdain. "He's off meeting with the Grigori today."

"That's what it was!" Bon announced suddenly, snapping his fingers. "She's not here!"

Shima gave him an odd look. "Um, who?"

"Corinne! She's not here!" Bon looked at the uncomprehending faces around him. "C'mon! The one day this unbeatable monster attacks the most fortified exorcism school in the hemisphere is the one day our suspicious angel is gone!"

"It doesn't matter now," Yukio dismissed. "We've got to stop that thi-" Yukio's speech was interrupted by another crash and the sound of hissing steam. Springing to the feet, the exwire class gaped as the resident exorcist teachers began their attack. Someone - they couldn't see who - had summoned a Reaper which was currently blasting water at the exposed parts of the _Ojikasai_.

However, instead of having some sort of detrimental effect on the monster, it only seemed to make it angrier. The Fire Prince spun around surprisingly fast and dove its head low to the ground. As soon as it was within striking distance, the exorcists counterattacked with holy water grenades, silvern bullets, and demons of their own.

"Hey, maybe we've got a chance!" Shima said optimistically as the group stood up and began to race through the hallways. They could only catch glimpses of the battle through the open doors of classrooms as they passed by. It was almost as if they were viewing pictures of the battle versus the real thing, which made it all the more surreal as they went on.

In all actuality, the amount of time they were able to _see_ the conflict was so short the glimpses they caught seemed frozen in time.

The creature was roaring. Explosions dotted its back like overgrown silver trees and lesser demons swarmed round its snout, which was still held close to the ground.

Their view was blocked by wall again as they skidded around a corner and continued running.

Their next view didn't bode well for the exorcists. The _Ojikasai_ had let a bout of flames scorch over the line of teachers attacking, burning hastily-summoned shields and unprotected flesh without discrimination.

Bon cursed quietly as they took another turn and lost sight of the battle. "Dammit, why are there so many hallways?" he growled and he stumbled and nearly fell before righting himself. The exwire looked up just in time to crash into Shiemi's back.

"Agh! Shiemi!" Bon protested, shaking his head and standing up. "Don't stop when we're all running like that!" The rest of the class slowed to a stop along with the two.

"P-professor Tsubaki," Shiemi stuttered, her eyes huge.

Slowly, the class turned their horrified faces to a cracked window visible through an open classroom. The Fire Prince had reared its head up, its jaws splayed wide open before crashing down upon the exwires' teacher.

"Kaoru!" Shura shouted just as the teeth closed together with a resounding _crash_.

"N-no," Izumo stuttered. All of the color had drained from her face. Yukio had gone pale as well, but tightened the grip on his weapon.

"Shura, I need you to get the kids out of here."

"Listen, four-eyes-" Shura began as she leveled a dangerous look at him.

"Not now!" Yukio yelled, startling them all. "We can't beat that thing! I need you to take the exwires and get them to the Kyoto branch office. Come back with any exorcists you can find. See if you can get Arthur here."

"Yukio, I'm not goin' to just leave!"

"Shura, for once, just _listen_ to me!"

"Screw this," Rin chuckled darkly as he discarded Kurikara's cover. "I'm out. See ya guys later." He turned and ran through the open door, vaulting over a fallen desk.

"Rin!" Yukio called after him. "Dammit!" he swore as his brother disappeared, smashing through a window. He watched with a grim mixture of admiration and terror as giant black wings sprouted from the half-demon's back. The shape of Rin launched into the air as blue fire flared across his wingspan.

"Rin!" Shiemi screamed. "Yukio-"

"Shiemi, you and the other exwires are leaving. I don't want an argument."

"But Rin! _You can't just leave him!_"

Yukio smiled, but there was little humor in it. "Of course I'm not going to leave him. If worst comes to worst, then the Vatican won't have any of Satan's sons to deal with."

"You idiot!" Shura yelled. "You pigheaded, stupid, clumsy _idiot! _As if we're going to leave after that!"

"Anyone who doesn't leave now forfeits any chance they have of ever becoming an exorcist," Yukio ordered. "Get out." Then, turning his back on his students, he shook his head and sprinted through the disheveled classroom, using the same exit his brother had. The class and Shura stared open-mouthed at their teacher.

Outside the relative safety of the school, the air was filled with frantic shouts and roaring flames. Yukio ran up to a teacher supporting another who had a large, bloody gash on his upper thigh.

"Professor Kimura! What's going on?" He called as soon as he was within hearing distance.

"Yukio! Oh god, we don't know what to do!" Kimura said frantically, swaying under the other teacher's weight. "That thing isn't responding to anything, it's too big!"

"My brother's here," Yukio reported, "So we'll see what he can do. For now, you two get to safety." His fellow teacher nodded, her eyes wild, before continuing on to the building.

Yukio ducked as a gust of wind swept over him.

"Yukio," Rin panted as he half-crashed, half-landed next to his brother. "I need your help!"

"You idiot, what was the big deal, taking off like that?" Yukio hissed, hitting the back of Rin's head.

"Yeah, whatever, yell at me later. Look along that thing's back."

Yukio squinted and just made out two bulges by its shoulders. "What are those?"

"Wing joints," Rin announced triumphantly. "That thing _flies._"

"No," Yukio said in a disbelieving tone. "It's much too large."

"Then it has big-ass wings. I need you to help me get it in the air. That way, it can't hurt anyone on the ground and I can see what I can do without worrying about it lashing out."

"Roger that, Rin," A confident voice said from behind them. Yukio turned around with a sinking feeling in his heart.

There stood Bon, hefting a bag of holy water grenades, flanked by Izumo and her Byakko, Shiemi and her Greenman, and Shima and Konekomaru both holding more holy water grenades and hand pistols. Shura stood behind them, a proud but slightly irritated look on her face.

"Sorry, four-eyes," she smirked, "But you might want to check yer class' determination to become exorcists. They abandoned that awfully fast."

"Too bad, teach," Bon said. "Alright, we'll focus on attacking the underside of those joints. Good luck!" The exwire class took off, this time leaving their teacher open-mouthed in shock.

"Well, there ya have it," Rin smiled sadly. "Now we have to win, don't we?" He closed his eyes for the briefest of moments before launching back into the sky. Yukio heaved a heavy sigh before checking his gun clip and following after his class.

"Stupid students," he muttered. "They're going to get themselves killed. Alright, everyone!" he yelled as loud as he could. "Attack under the wing joints, we're going to get it up in the air!"

"Then what?" A wild-eyed teacher asked in a shaking voice.

"Then," Yukio smiled, "We'll let Satan's son roast that thing to hell."

* * *

High above the strangely dark forest, Corinne was frantically flying to her school. Leviathan's unperturbed attitude was concerning her - if something was so important he had to cut one of their meeting short, why was he so calm? True Cross was just visible in the distance. Squinting against the wind, Corinne could just make out a massive figure moving in the courtyard she had destroyed. As she watched, giant plumes of steam shot up in the air as grenades detonated along the shape's back.

"What is that?" she muttered to herself as she grew closer. She could just _barely_ make out the shape of Rin's black wings hovering above the creature.

_He couldn't be commanding that thing, could he?_ she silently questioned. _No,_ she finally decided, shaking her head. _He wouldn't attack them. This had better not be another one of Shura's 'lessons'._

Down on the ground, tiny people resembling ants swarmed across the ground, lobbing puffs of steam at the monster as it spat flames at them. Corinne noticed as she grew closer that, to her horror, the entire exwire class was on the ground fighting the thing.

"Those idiots!" she seethed, pushing her wings to beat even faster. "They can't fight that monster!" At the same moment, Rin caught a moving white blob out of the corner of his eye.

"Corinne!" He yelled as he spiraled up towards her, driving his wings to make huge gusts of air as he leveled with her high above the courtyard.

"Thank _god _you're here!" Rin said loudly over the _whoosh_ing of the wind.

"What the hell are you doing? She screamed back.

"Dunno!" He grinned cheekily. "Long story short, fire-breath down needs to be sent back down!"

"What?!"

"I SAID-"

"I HEARD YOU!" Corinne shouted, leaning back from the half-demon to avoid the drafts from his wings. "Fine! Let's get it up in the air!"

"How'd you-"

"Everyone knows _Ojikasai _can fly!" Corinne somehow managed to sound smug over the roars below. Rin rolled his eyes but sent her a fanged grin before locking his wings and free falling back down to the battle. Despite herself, Corinne gave a small smile in return.

"Oh, right..." She muttered. "Water against a fire elemental… not quite sure about the rotting part, but whatever… Oh, those most high in the heavens, I ask for a drop of wine from the chalice of sacrifice!"

A familiar triangle of symbols appeared between the angel's outstretched hands. She watched as Rin landed on the Fire Prince's shoulders and shoved his blade nearly to the hilt into its wing joint. The monster gave an irritated snarl but treated it as no more than a mosquito bite.

_Alright_, Corinne thought. _It's about time the angels look better than the demons._ Squinting to see accurately, she focused a bright blue beam straight down the creature's back, just narrowly missing Rin.

The Fire Prince felt _that._

An earth-shattering roar split the air as the _Ojikasai_ whipped its head around. Its sightless eyes moved jerkily around in its sockets as it sought out the angel, bits of fire dripping from its jaws. With a huge, creaking, groaning sound, the muscles in its shoulders began to twitch. For fear of being thrown off, Rin took to the skies again. The exwires and exorcists below watched and waited.

As soon as the underside of the wing was visible, it was quickly shrouded again in clouds of burning steam. The monster screamed as the sensitive skin was razed by the holy water, suddenly extending its wings with a shocking _boom_ and expanding them to its full wingspan.

"CORRINE! BURN ITS FEET!" Rin shouted as he threw a bout of flames by the creature's paws. The rest of the students and staff had already retreated back inside, their mission complete, to watch the ensuing battle. Without acknowledging Rin, Corinne shot beam after beam of intense light at the _Ojikasai_'s feet.

Eventually, the creature had had enough. With a terrifying sound like nails upon hundreds of chalkboards, the Fire Prince finally gave its wings one measured beat. And then another. And another.

The students and teachers inside the school prudently decided it was now time to perhaps run away in terror as all of the windows in the school shattered.

"YES!" Rin laughed happily as he beat his own wings in return, joining Corinne in the air. "Now we can really go to town!"

"You idiot, now _it _can go to town!" Corinne snarled loudly. "We've got to steer it towards the forest!"

"Right!" And with that, the angel and the demon flanked around the behemoth as it rose slowly and ponderously into the air. Keeping it skybound with burning slashes to its shoulders, Rin and Corinne dodged the creature's fire and wildly flailing talons as it tried in vain to land a return blow.

Rin flew up next to the monster's head. "Hey, this thing can't even hit us!" he yelled to the angel, who was burning the creature's side. Just as he spoke, said thing whipped its head around to bat the half-demon out of the air as if he were no more than a mosquito.

"RIN!" Corinne shouted, her breath suddenly stuck in her throat.

"Hehe, close one!" Rin smiled from under the creature as he swooped towards her.

"You idiot!" She seethed. "If you died, how was I supposed to beat this thing?

He shrugged and sent her a slightly more sheepish smile. "Oops. I'll watch out for that from now- LOOK OUT!"

Corinne could see fear, real fear, reflected in his eyes. As if in slow motion, she turned around with one beat of her wings just in time to come face to face with one of the Prince's claws.

_Lord, forgive me,_ she thought before closing her eyes.

And for a moment, all was black.

Then, warmth. A warm weight upon her chest, a warm air caressing her wings, a warm liquid soaking through her clothes.

A warm, red liquid.

_He could never be a demon because he's too nice._

_He could never be a demon because he has a heart._

_He could never be a demon because he bleeds far too much red._

And that red was now all over her soul.

"Rin!" She choked out, staggering suddenly under the unexpected weight as the half-demon slumped onto her. She could just barely feel a sharp point wedged in her stomach that sent bolts of pain through her body, but she was more concerned with the claw that was currently impaled through Rin.

A wet tearing sound grated on her ears as she fell backwards, sliding Rin off the claw. He coughed, spitting blood, and his wings gave a half-hearted twitch.

"Shit!" Corinne panicked, momentarily forgetting she was holy and whatnot. "Oh, god, Rin!" Struggling under his weight, she managed to half-fall, half-fly down to the courtyard, landing a bit harder than she's like and stumbling to her knees. Rin's body jerked as she came to a stop and set him down.

"C-corinne?" He wheezed. Corinne screwed her eyes shut against the sight of the gaping hole in Rin's abdomen that was currently staining the ground.

"I'm here," she whispered.

"Did I get there in time?"

"Yeah, I'm f-fine," the angel choked. "Don't worry, you're going to be too. I-I'll fix this. Oh, god, oh god oh godohgod-"

"I'm fine," Rin interjected weakly. "Just another d-demon… going where…I-I can't hurt anyone…" Rin's head slumped back.

"NO! Rin, stay with me!" Corinne yelled. Frantically, she laid her head on his chest and was rewarded with a slow and faltering but gloriously loud _tha-thump tha-thump_. "You're going to be fine," she said to the unconscious boy as took off her jacket and balled it up over his wound. "What do I do? C'mon, Corinne, _think!_" She yelled at herself. _I've got to stop the bleeding_, she thought mechanically.

"Please, Lord, thy shining light doth touch the sky and bring forth the light of miracles," she said softly. A warm glow covered her hands as she slowly moved them across Rin's stomach.

_Alright, that should seal in the blood for a little bit, but his demon blood will probably burn it off before long. I can't do a high-level healing spell, I've never tried!_ The angel began to shake with fear before her mind finally grasped her last lifeline. Something that could take care of both the thundering _Ojikasai_ and Rin.

_Leviathan_.

"Leviathan," Corinne said simply before covering Rin in her jacket. "Sleep for a bit, Rin. I'll come back with help." She turned and spread her wings, ignoring spots of dark red on them. Her angelic power had already healed the small wound on her stomach. Rin had protected her from the rest.

"Leviathan, I need your help," Corinne muttered as she took to the air. "Rin needs your help."

**Not. A. Deathfic. I promise, I really don't like those cuz they make me cry. I will try to get the next chapter out soon, though that could be a week from now... oops. But I will try! And just a warning, we are nearing the end... this is kinda a short fic. I might continue it if someone really wants me to and can possible help with ideas after I finish my main plot. Thanks!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry, sorry, sorry! Writer's block, school, friend issues... everything just piled up! But here's the next chapter! Oh, and one thing I will promise - even if I update late, I will NOT drop this story. Ever. It WILL be finished. Chapter dedicated to Aneki Okumura for making me remember to keep writing!**

The wind whistled in Corinne's ear as she streaked through the skies, clashing with the heartbeat pounding through her head. Her heart was in her throat as she strained to push her wings faster and faster. Below the angel, the acrid tang of smoke and rubble of True Cross changed to the dark forest that emanated unease.

Terrifying roars sounded behind her as the Fire Prince realized its prey was escaping. Corinne was extremely apprehensive about leaving the behemoth behind, of course, but she was more concerned about other things. Namely one half-dead half-demon.

The angel was buffeted around by gusts of wind as she flew. Normally, she'd pay much more attention to the updrafts and air currents, but fear blocked out the calm, rational thoughts in her head. Later she'd worry about her strained shoulders. Later she'd be with the other exwires like nothing had ever happened. Later she might think back on how, in her mind, she made no distinction between a reeking demon and a boy who had risked his life for her, and ultimately dismiss it because it didn't matter anymore.

Now, she'd push herself faster than ever before and hurtle down into the trees as soon as she spotted the old, crumbling headstone in a graveyard she knew all too well.

Leviathan turned around, surprised, as the young girl fell to the ground next to a headstone he was currently perched on. Corinne let out a yelp and a very unladylike swear as her wing was caught underneath her, but clambered to her feet.

"Corinne? Whatever are you doing?" The High Angel asked in a voice that sounded like he was talking to a young child.

"L-leviathan!" She gasped. She stood awkwardly with one hand holding her strained shoulder.

"I was just about to return to the skies before you came," Leviathan said, an unreadable expression on his face. Suddenly, his eyes grew alive and his mouth split into a joyous grin. "I always forget how _fresh_ the breeze is down here on the ground. Doesn't it just make you want to _fly?_"

"C-can't you s-smell it?" Corinne stuttered, her nervousness caused by the dried blood on her shirt and a feeling she couldn't put a name to. "Leviathan, the air is f-filled with smoke and the smell of burning flesh."

For just the briefest, _barest_ of seconds, Corinne thought she saw a flicker of irritation in the angel's eyes. It was gone so fast, however, she couldn't really be sure she'd seen it at all.

"Leviathan, I need your help. Rin got injured protecting me from the _Ojikasai_ and it's really, _really bad! _ _I don't know what to do!_" Corinne's voice rose in pitch as she began to lose it, her heart beating face and her eyes turning wild.

"Calm, child," Leviathan rumbled. "What's this about the demon?"

"Oh my god, it was all so fast," Corinne nearly sobbed. "We were working on doing _something,_ I don't know, _anything_ to stop that monster. And Rin nearly got hit, so I turned to yell at him, and he warned me about it right behind me, but I didn't see!" Her eyes suddenly turned hollow.

"Oh my god, this is all my fault."

"Of course not, child,"Leviathan denied.

"No, it is! He threw himself in front of me to protect me!"

Leviathan blinked, a shadow crossing his expression. "The demon put himself in harm's way to protect you?" Corinne nodded mutely as she held back tears.

"We need to go," she managed. "I can't do a high enough healing spell to fix this!" She turned and spread her wings, ignoring the dull burn in her left shoulder.

"Corinne, wait," Leviathan said softly.

"What?" She nearly snapped. _Can't he see we need to go? We have to hurry, or Rin will…_

"Do you think we should save him?"

The silence was louder than a scream.

"Of course," Corinne, chuckling nervously at the dark feeling that had suddenly swept over the small graveyard. "Why wouldn't we?"

Leviathan gave her a cool, measured look. "He is a demon. I will come with you and help help with the _Ojikasai_, but wouldn't it be better if Satan's son was off of this earth?"

Corinne glared at him. "No, Leviathan. _Rin_ needs our help. Not Satan's son, not a demon. He is better than both of those titles and deserving of neither."

"Very well." Leviathan turned his face towards the sky and spread his blood red wings, feeling the breeze for a moment before giving them a few powerful beats. Corinne let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and followed the High Angel to the skies.

* * *

They flew back in silence, accompanied only by the howling wind and the screams of the Fire Prince in the distance. Corinne was moving as fast as she could but Leviathan kept up easily. She itched to tell him to go on ahead, but some part of her didn't quite trust the angel with Rin in such a vulnerable state.

The _Ojikasai_ was sending stream after stream of fire at True Cross, but was doing nothing more than scorching the stonework. It hadn't noticed Rin's prone form yet. Corinne dived under the creature to go to Rin's side while Leviathan pulled back and rose gloriously in the air. After a clumsy landing, Corinne dropped to her knees beside Rin's body. She laid his head in her lap as she glanced up at the High Angel.

Immediately she found she could not look away. He was the ideal picture of an angel, the kind those whom had been divinely inspired painted. The sun was setting behind him as he raised his arms in the air, his lips twitching as he spoke indecipherable words. His wings flared out dramatically behind him and time seemed to slow.

However, it was not the unnerving beauty of this scene that drew Corinne's eyes; despite it's seeming perfection, the entire scene was just _off._ It was as if someone had taken this ethereal painting and perversed it ever so slightly. The High Angel's wings looked like they were bleeding into the dying sky behind him, and just before his words unleashed a rush of power, his mouth twisted into a sadistic grin.

Corinne screwed her eyes shut as a blinding light erupted in front of her. She could see the glare even through her eyelids. A hideous, terrifying scream echoed through the clearing and Corinne felt a rush of heat before wrenching her eyes open in time to see a red glow fade from her view. The _Ojikasai_ was totally and utterly gone.

"W-what-" she stuttered before a shout interrupted her.

"_YOU BITCH!_" An enraged scream sounded from behind her. She whipped her head around just in time to see Bon, Izumo, and Shima racing towards her, Yukio leading them and Shiemi and Konekomaru just behind.

"_WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?_" Bon yelled as they drew closer. Shiemi put her hand to her mouth in horror as the group came close enough to see the extent of Rin's injury. The color drained from Corinne's face as a realization settled deep in her heart. The angel bent her head over Rin's chest just in time to hear-

Nothing.

"No, no, no!" She yelled. "Leviathan! _He's not breathing!_"

"_WHAT DID YOU DO?_" Bon bellowed again. Gently lifting Rin's head and resting it on the ground, Corinne put her hands in the air and stumbled back a few steps.

"No, it wasn't me!" She cried. "It was just an accident!" Yukio arrived at his brother's side and knelt immediately, fingering for a pulse and finding none.

"Shit," he swore before placing both hands on his chest and beginning compressions.

"You didn't do anything?" Bon seethed. "Then what the hell is _that?_" He pointed to the angelic seal Corinne had placed to keep Rin from bleeding out.

The skin around the wound was an unhealthy, dark red. It looked burnt or worse and a sickening stench Corinne hadn't noticed before wafted through the air.

"No…" Corinne denied it to herself. "I was just trying to help…"

"Help, my ass," Izumo snarled.

"Back away, mortal Son of Satan," Leviathan's voice rang over the crowd. Yukio stopped his desperate attempts to save his brother's life and looked up.

"Who are you supposed to be?" He growled uncharacteristically.

"I am Leviathan, a High Angel who sent Corinne on the mission to… look into your brother." He raked his eyes challengingly across the group.

"Does that mean you can help?" Konekomaru asked eagerly.

"Yes," Leviathan rumbled. "Corinne, remove your seal." Corinne obeyed instantly. Leviathan swept by them to stand over Rin's lifeless form and raised his arms in a familiar gesture and mumbled some guttural words. He closed his eyes and continued to speak as a glow appeared above Rin, growing until it encompassed his wound. The glow slowly lowered until it touched RIn's skin.

The half-demon's body gave a jerk.

Everyone's breath caught in their throat as the skin on Rin's abdomen began to knit closed, organs and bones mending underneath. The new skin was an angry pink and knotted, leaving an ugly scar, but it was better than the alternative. The glow slowly began to fade until Leviathan spoke one more harsh word, at which it suddenly flared as Rin drew in a shocked breath. The glow faded as Leviathan put his arms down.

Almost instantly, Shiemi knelt by Rin's body and listened for his heartbeat. There was a moment of silence and terror before she announced, eyes shining, that He. Was. Breathing.

The entire group let out sighs of relief. Leviathan continued to stare down at the half-demon, his expression unreadable. "He will be unconscious for some time, but he should be fine in the end."

"High Angel, you said?" Yukio suddenly asked as he watched his brother's sleeping form. "I have a question for you, Holy One."

"Yes, child?" Leviathan suddenly seemed ever so slightly on edge.

"Why were you watching my brother?"

"Let me answer you question with a question. Corinne?"

"Yes?" the angel responded, a worried frown creasing her eyebrows.

"Do you believe this half-demon deserves to ascend to heaven when he dies?"

SIlence fell over the group.

"W-what? How is that possible?" Corinne gasped.

"I can strip him of his demon side upon death and allow him the right to ascend."

"T-then…" Corinne trailed off. Her angel side was telling her he really was a demon at heart and that could never change, but the part of her that was a bit more understanding quite plainly said _he risked his life for you, dumbass_.

She looked up at the High Angel with clear eyes. "Yes, Leviathan," she said resolutely. "He is in now way a demon at heart."

"My, isn't that unfortunate," Leviathan whispered softly. Yukio's eyes suddenly shot open in horrified realization.

"Holy One?" he questioned again.

"Yes?"

"Corinne's angelic seal was burning his demon blood, wasn't it? Angelic healing magic could only hurt a half-demon."

"That is correct," Leviathan rumbled.

"Then how is it that you were able to heal him?"

Once again, a deadly silence fell across the courtyard.

"Ah, I should have known!" Leviathan laughed, a dark, gleeful sound. "Well, it seems the show is over. Thank Satan, too - all of that respect was getting tiresome!"

Corinne's eyes stretched wider than she thought possible. "N-no… you… you're not an angel!"

"That is where you're not totally correct," Leviathan smirked. His eyes seemed to get darker and a few feathers from his wings drifted to the ground. "I was an angel once, but I Fell… all the way down."

Corinne gasped. Leviathan grinned, showing his pointed canines and snake-like tongue. "The King of Fire, at your service," he gloated with a bow. More feathers drifted to the ground to reveal half-rotted, sinewy wings. When he rose from his bow, his hair was a fiery red with the same black streak above his ears.

"And now," he continued, "I'm afraid I'll be taking my little brother over there's life."

"What?!" Shima protested loudly, bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

"You see, Rin should have been a demon. He shares our father's blood, after all. Instead of a _useful_ brother, however, we got this thing that makes friends and sacrifices itself for angels." Leviathan, or the King of Fire, or _whatever_, gave a disgusted snort. "How disgraceful…" he murmured. "I was hoping he'd take the chance to let Corinne die during the fight with one of my pets which my brother, the King of Rot, was so kind as to send to me, but he jumped in the way of the attack. It was so _disappointing!_" The Fallen angel gave a shudder. "I cannot allow such a thing to live."

"Hell no," Izumo said. "We almost lost him once. We are never losing him again."

"Oh? And you think you can fight against one of the Eight Kings when you couldn't even handle my little housepet?" Leviathan smirked.

The exwires, plus Shura who had arrived sometime early enough to know what was going on, moved to stand protectively in front of Rin's still form.

"Watch us," Bon growled.

**Next chapter will be sometime. Sorry I'm so inconsistent :( but hopefully things will quiet down a bit and I'll get back to updating more!**


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